Can't Fight the Moonlight
by Mauve Lipgloss
Summary: PRE-SLASH Remus/Sirius - The Mauraders learn Remus is a werewolf. One of them is less accepting than the others.


Title: Can't Fight the Moonlight  
  
Author: Mauve  
  
Rating : PG-13  
  
A/N: This is a response to the challenge "The marauders find out that Remus is a werewolf. One of them is less accepting than the others," at Dark Side of the Moon. () This story takes place in the Marauders third year at Hogwarts. Enjoy...  
  
^^^***^^^***  
  
James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew sat in the deserted Gryffindor Common Room, all absorbed by the calendar they were looking at. All three were so absorbed at what they were looking at, they didn't notice the Fat Lady swing open to admit Lily Evans.  
  
Lily, an unofficial Marauder, walked over to the three boys and sat down next to Peter. She glanced at the calendar, then look up at James. "What are you three doing? It's a bit late to be writing down people birthdays, it's nearing Christmas."  
  
"As if we would so quiet if we were planning birthday parties!" Sirius snapped at Lily.  
  
Peter squirmed, and James looked up, giving Sirius a look, which plainly said "shut-up-right-now-or-else." Sirius scowled at James and Peter, but kept his silence. Lily looked at the three for a moment, and then spoke again. "It's Remus, isn't it?"  
  
This time, Peter spoke. "You mean you think he is...y'know...a..." he trailed off, glancing at James and Sirius.  
  
"A werewolf, Peter?" James supplied helpfully. Sirius looked even angrier, if that were possible at the moment. Lily gulped...something was seriously (no pun intended) bugging Sirius for him to act like this...especially when it had to do with one of his friends.  
  
"Well...lets just make sure we are right before we say anything, okay?" The unruly third year Gryffindor muttered hopefully. Perhaps Sirius would be in a better mood before Remus returned from his "sick aunt." James highly doubted it...but wishful thinking never hurt anyone, right?  
  
Sirius practically ripped the calendar from Peter (Peter complained about the "nasty paper-cut," but shut up as Sirius gave him a look that could kill) and turned back to September. "Right then, lets get this over with. September 23-26: Full Moon." Sirius made a mark before continuing. "Remus is apparently off to see his sick mother, whom I might add looked perfectly healthy when I saw her the 24th at the Quidditch game."  
  
Lily nodded, then took off where Sirius left off. "October 27-31: Full Moon." Lily marked it before continuing. "Remus is sent home because he was to attend the funeral of his Aunt Cleo."  
  
Peter blinked. "I didn't know Remus had an Aunt Cleo..."  
  
Sirius hit him in the head. "That's because he DOESN'T, moron."  
  
James gave Peter a small smile before picking up where Lily left off. "November 19-21: Full Moon." He marked it and finished. "Remus had to leave at once for a 'family emergency'."  
  
Sirius was about to speak, but Peter picked up quickly to keep him from doing anything Peter would regret. "December 15-22: Full Moon." He marked it, then blinked. "No clue what his excuse is so far."  
  
Sirius snorted, then laughed. "I would say we have all the proof we need right there. If the calendar doesn't prove it, I'm sure the monthly fatigue, dilated pupils, and semi-permanent state of weakness will." With that, Sirius stalked up to the dorm and slammed the door.  
  
Lily stared for a moment, then got up silently and walked back to the Great Hall, Peter running right behind her. Leaving James as the only one in the common room. He leaned back for a few moments, then finally went upstairs to try and talk to Sirius. If he knew Remus as well as he thought he did, he knew there was a reason they hadn't been told.  
  
^^^***^^^***  
  
Remus slowly made his way back up towards the Gryffindor Common Room. Feeling drained like he always did. All he wanted to do was to go up to the dorm and fall asleep in his bed until sometime tomorrow. He walked up to the Fat Lady who scowled at him for waking her up. He muttered the password "Snape Sucks" (Sirius made it up) and watched dully as the portrait swung open.  
  
He entered the Common Room and stared. It seemed as though it had been empty all day. It probably had, as most of the students were spending their Saturday outside in the snow. He noticed, however, that a pile of papers and a calendar were lying on the table. Looking around, Remus did not notice anyone else in the Tower, so he walked over to the table and picked up the papers. 'I wonder who these belo- oh shit.'  
  
Remus closed his eyes at what he saw, his heart racing. Every full moon from September on circled, each, with the exception of this month, labeled with his excuse and a big question mark. He groaned out loud, his body desperately trying to catch up with his mind.  
  
'They know! They know! The probably all hate me! I'm going to get kicked out of Hogwarts...what if they told Snape? What the hell am I talking about? Snape is the least of my worries...they will tell their parents...Dumbledore and I will both get booted!' Remus was so preoccupied with his thoughts he didn't notice Lily and Peter standing behind him.  
  
"Remus?"  
  
Remus whirled around, and gasped. They knew...both of them. Lily smiled at him, and Peter gave him a mixed look of pity and his normal look of permanent fear.  
  
"Remus...we know. So does James...and...Sirius." She kind of whispered the last name, and Remus didn't notice at the moment.  
  
"I'm sorry...I know you hate me...I should go find Dumbledore...he'll need me to pack..." Lily ran up to him a hugged him.  
  
"Idiot! I don't hate you! I don't care if you're a werewolf or not, you're my friend Remus, and that is all that matters." She smiled at him. She would not lose Remus because he was a werewolf...he, James, Peter, and Sirius were her best friends. "Remus...you don't have to leave. We don't care if you're a werewolf, do we, Peter?"  
  
Peter shook his head. "Actually...I think it's kind of...cool. Do you eat other animals?" Lily whacked him, and Remus tried not to smile...leave it to Peter to say something like that.  
  
"Look...the werewolf has arrived." A cold voice sneered from the staircase. Remus turned around and looked up to see Sirius giving him the most evil look possible. James was behind him, making gestures the equaled out to "ignore him."  
  
Remus paled. "Sirius, you don't under-"  
  
Sirius cut him off before leaving the common room. "Stay away from me, Lupin!" With that, he was gone.  
  
James ran up to Remus, and noticed that Remus looked ready to cry. "Remy...I have no idea what made him do that. He insisted upstairs he is not angry because you're a werewolf...but he wouldn't say why he was angry." James gave a shrug and looked genuinely perplexed.  
  
"He has been like that since earlier this morning, Remus." Peter spoke up, looking surprised at himself. Lily nodded in agreement.  
  
James sighed...he had been afraid this would happen.  
  
^^^***^^^***  
  
Remus spent the next week skillfully dodging Sirius with every ounce of will he had. Any time he came within ten feet of Sirius, Sirius would become a full-fledged Snape-in-training. He had come up with a very lengthy array of insults.  
  
Other students in all of the houses seemed utterly perplexed as to what broke up the Marauders. Sirius vs. Remus, and the other three neutral...it was confusing everybody...including the Professors. McGonagall had no doubt it was Black's fault, while Hagrid insisted it was Remus. Many of the other teachers thought James, Lily, and Peter had done something to make the other two fight. The only teacher not gossiping or acting any different than usual was Dumbledore. He had his normal...amused look, in his eye.  
  
^^^***^^^***  
  
Sirius scowled as he stomped down the hallway, towards...well...he had no clue where he was going, actually. He had just needed to walk, to get away from everyone else. His mind was racing. He was still pissed at Remus, and was now angry with James and Lily as well...they had told him to leave Remus alone. At which point, he had hexed both of them (he had sent flowers to the infirmary, though...). Peter was now the only Marauder he would talk to, much to his dismay.  
  
He walked by one of the unused Professor quarters, when he heard someone crying. Sirius began to walk backwards, and he looked at the statue of Merlin. Mildly, he pulled out the Marauders Map, and glanced at it. He blinked when he noticed the person in the room was Remus. He uttered the password ("Hotdog") and watched as Merlin nodded and moved.  
  
He walked inside the room. It looked like the Gryffindor Common Room, except much smaller, and he could distinctly see a bedroom off to the side. He walked a bit farther in, and saw Remus curled up on the couch, crying.  
  
He raised his eyebrow, but said nothing. He moved closer in that sneaky way only he could, and stopped when he heard Remus speak through his tears.  
  
"Mari...why would Sirius hate me? I didn't do anything! James told me that he doesn't care that I am a werewolf...if that is true...why won't he talk to me."  
  
Sirius sighed in relief in his mind. Marigold was a cat that Sirius had bought Remus in their second year. He was surprised to hear Remus talk to her. He raised his eyebrows, was Remus really so dense? That he couldn't figure it out?  
  
He slithered up a little bit closer, and froze when Remus spoke again.  
  
"I think I may leave Hogwarts, Mari. There is no point in staying if my friends hate me - and each other - because of what I am." Sirius gasped, and Remus turned around.  
  
"Lupin - Remus - I don't want you to leave." Sirius whispered as Mari nuzzled against his legs.  
  
Remus stared at him. "You have an," Remus burst out into tears once more, but continued anyway, "odd way of showing your feelings!"  
  
"Moony - listen, I really don't care if you're a werewolf or not, really!"  
  
Remus stared at him through the tears clouding his vision. "THEN WHY DO YOU HATE ME?"  
  
Sirius cringed...he had been an idiot. "Remus...I don't hate you. I don't care that you are a werewolf. What I DO care about, is the fact you couldn't tell me. It hurts, I thought we were best friends!" Sirius sat down on the couch next to Remus.  
  
Remus gaped at him. "What?"  
  
"You hear me. Why couldn't you tell me you're a werewolf? Don't you trust me?" Sirius hissed at him.  
  
Remus began to cry again, much to the dismay of Sirius. 'Since when does Remus ever cry?' He thought to himself. His mind answered for him. 'Since you hurt him, Black!'  
  
"I do trust you Sirius! I didn't tell you because Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Madame Pomfrey forbade me! I really wanted to tell all four of you guys, but I couldn't! Dumbledore is the only headmaster who would have let me in! If anyone else knew they were taking classes with a werewolf, I would be kicked out!" Remus managed to choke that out before bursting into more tears.  
  
Sirius felt like a piano had landed on him. He hadn't thought of that...he had been selfish. Now that he DID think about it, Remus made sense. If anyone outside of his friends knew, Remus would have to leave, because parents would not want a werewolf teaching their children. Half of the students would act like...like he had. He gulped.  
  
"Remy...I'm sorry, I really am. I didn't mean to make you think I hate you because you're a werewolf...it was because you-- " Sirius trailed off as he noticed Remus had fallen asleep. He paused silently, staring at Remus for a few minutes.  
  
He leaned down and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I promise, Moony...I will find some way to make this up to you, I promise."  
  
With that, Sirius let himself fall into a dreamless oblivion.  
  
^^^***^^^***  
  
That's all so far. I am going to write a sequel, in their fifth year. It will show what Sirius does to make it up to Remus...becoming an Animagi with James and Peter. I would have added it here...but I didn't feel like it ^^;  
  
The reference to Sirius calling Remus "Moony" is that, in my mind...Sirius uses it as a nickname for Remus in his mind. When, in the sequel, They come up with nicknames, Sirius will suggest it for Remus. So that explains that. ^^  
  
That was a pre-slash story, the sequel will be slash between Sirius/Remus. 


End file.
